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How to Become a Professional Counselor: A Look at Higher Education and Requirements for Licensure

For the right type of person, mental health counseling is a rewarding and fulfilling profession.

If you are considering a career in Counseling, it is wise to do your research on the various educational and licensing requirements required. At minimum, you will need an undergraduate degree, plus a masters degree in Counseling or a related field, depending on what type of counselor you want to be. We will discuss various types of counselors, but our primary focus will be on Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), which are masters level clinicians who are also nationally certified and licensed by the state in which they practice. Colleges and universities throughout the country offer graduate programs in Counseling, School Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Therapy.

What is a Mental Health Counselor?

Counselors come in all shapes and sizes. The term "therapist" is often synonymous with "counselor" but both terms are somewhat ambiguous, as both terms are used in many fields which have little or nothing to do with mental health counseling. For example, there are financial counselors and admissions counselors and there are massage therapist and physical therapist.

The more appropriate terms would be Professional Mental Health Counselor and Psychotherapist. Both mean roughly the same thing, though there are some semantic differences between the two. For the purpose of this discussion, we will be using the terms "counselor" and "therapist" to apply to the field of mental health only. However, even when you narrow the field down, there's still a number of different types of counselors. Consider the following:

There are notable differences between these fields of study and disciplines. The American Counseling Association (ACA) notes the following definition of professional counseling:

Professional counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.

A Professional Counselor then is a mental health clinician holding a minimum of a masters degree in Counseling or a related field, and who is at least provisionally licensed by the State in which he or she practices. Generally speaking, counselors are qualified to treat a variety of "standard" mental illnesses and disorders. These include but are not limited to: anxiety, trauma and grief, depression, bipolar disorder, adjustment disorders, phobias, somatoform disorders (phantom pain), mood disorders and developmental disorders such as oppositional defiance. This list is not all-inclusive, and many counselors end up specializing in certain conditions and obtaining additional training and certifications in areas such as play therapy, addictions counseling and career counseling, among many others.

Minimum Educational and Licensure/Certification Requirements

In order to become a Licensed Professional Counselors, the following education and training is required:

4 year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Degree can technically be in any discipline, though human services and related degrees are the most beneficial. these include social work, psychology, sociology, education, and criminology.

Masters degree from a regionally accredited college or university in Counseling or a related field such as Psychology. Typical program is 60 credit hours, including a 100 hour practicum and two 300 hour internships in a mental health facility.

Must pass the National Counselor Examination and earn the Nationally Certified counselor (NCC) credential. Currently, the exam is a rigorous mixture of both objective and subjective 200 multiple choice questions about professional ethics, best practices, counseling theories, group counseling, techniques and human development.

Must be able to pass a State and FBI background check. Criminal records of nearly every kind above a speeding ticket are grounds for dismissal from or denial to a graduate program in counseling.

State licensure is obtained once masters degree is conferred, NCC status is obtained, and application is reviewed by your state licensing board. In north Carolina, the board meets every three months. The process can take several months.

Counselors begin their career as LPCA, the "A" standing for "Associate." This is a provisional license, which means that a counselor must have a qualified LPC serving as their supervisor for a total of 3000 field hours. 2000 hours must be direct contact with clients, while the remaining 1000 hours may be supplemental duties such as treatment plan writing. LPCAs are required to meet with their supervisor for a period of one hour for every 40 hours of clinical work.

Counselors are also required to obtain continuing education throughout their careers to maintain their status as both an NCC and and LPC. While many agencies provide in-house continuing education opportunities, it is often left to the counselor to find board approved continuing education opportunities on their own time.

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